


Lying in Silence

by LuxahHeart



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: Blood and Injury, Childhood Trauma, Depression, Eye Trauma, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mental Health Issues, Night Terrors, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Scars, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27354292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuxahHeart/pseuds/LuxahHeart
Summary: A collection of one-shots that follow each main boy and the problems they face after a major battle that has left them mentally or both mentally and physically scarred in the aftermath it's brought on.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. Phantom Pain

**Author's Note:**

> If I need more tags, always feel free to tell me. I'm still not very good at it. 
> 
> This is also a non yaoi story, there won't be any pairings. I may be particular to who is with who more often just because I'm biased like that, but there is no set definite pairings in this.

**Phantom Pain.  
  
Characters: Ray and Bryan. **

* * *

Though there was a storm beginning to brew and come to life outside, the wind battering and banging against the wooden shutters and clay shingles of the house, inside where it was warm and safe the five bodies lay undisturbed in their beds almost peacefully and like they had cotton stuffed in their ears until the storm reached it’s full potential and thunder shook the house to it’s core, causing one of the bodies to flinch under their covers. 

There was a minor twist and shuffle on the lone bed as the wind began to howl louder, the branches on the tree closest to the house scratching and scraping against the window now, and the one body that was twisting and turning the most in it’s bed began to sweat at the same time as their ears twitched at every little noise that sounded ten times louder than what it really was. A look of pain crossed his once placid features, eyes screwing together tightly in sleep as his fangs threatened to pierce through his lower lip as he clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together all while twisting and turning.

The light down the hall, that was peeking through the cracked door to the dojo, wasn’t enough to drown out the darkness he found himself swimming inside of in his dreams, the wind that was howling outside was screaming in his head as it cut into him, and while the storm outside got more aggressive so did the wind that he was trapped and encircled by. The gusts that cut through him were cold and freezing, feeling like sharp knives as they sliced through his skin and clothes, and no matter how loud he screamed the wind was always louder.

Although it felt like he hadn’t done anything he was tired, finding his breathing heavier though all he’d been doing was standing there and enduring the pain as his body began to bleed from the cuts on his skin, his hair undone now and windswept to the point he could hardly see and refused to let go of himself to move it from his eyes.

Whatever was going on he just wanted it to stop, wanted to the pain to stop as it seared his skin, the sharp knives of wind that felt like ice turning into blades of fire as they sliced through him faster and quicker to the point his vision began to blur with how quickly the pain made him dizzy and he swayed where he stood. 

His mouth opened to scream again yet no sound came out this time, the wind cutting over him once more as a sadistic sounding laugh filtered in with it that seemed colder than the wind itself. The bitter cold that surrounded him closed his throat up as it shot down his gaping mouth, making it harder to breathe despite how much he panted and choked for air, his lungs starting to constrict on him to the point he was suffocating on nothing. 

Amongst the pain of the cuts from the wind a sharp jolt shot through his stomach, throbbing through his sides to his lower back that made him double over and choke up again what little air he didn’t have in his lungs without a way to bring in more. Another pain quickly followed, surging up his leg to his knee that forced him down to the blackened ground without a chance to even properly catch himself before he fell to the ground. The pain he felt when his body collided with ground was nothing compared to the pain he felt raging up and down his leg, though.

The sadistic laughing got louder as the wind around him slowly died down yet he was too tired to look up from where he’d collapsed, keeping his head down where his disheveled hair covered his face and blocked most of his still blurry vision. It’d taken all his strength to just lift himself onto the palms of his hands and knees into a pool of his own blood, it running in thin tendrils down his arms from the opened wounds that decorated his once flawless looking skin.

A freezing chill ran down his spine at the warm yet uninviting fingers touching him under his chin, his head being tilted back without his consent and without warning tears collected in the corners of his eyes as they locked onto the hardened and cold violet ones bearing down on him from above.

**“That was just my way of saying _hi_.”** The other’s eerie voice dripped out of them like ice while their grip on his chin tightened with a hard pinch, the tears flowing out and down his cheeks now as he stared up without a breath in his lungs or words on the tip of his tongue.

The pale lips above twisted up into a sinister smirk, nails beginning to dig into the skin on his chin while the free hand of the other came forward with something held in its grasp.

 **“You must be a glutton for punishment, obviously I didn’t defeat you badly enough because you came back for a second helping.”** The other said as they placed the barrel of what looked like a gun to his forehead, **“Well…. I can accommodate that.”**

It looked like a gun, was cold and metal like a gun, but it had to be the launcher; he told himself. It had to be. It couldn’t be anything but. Yet the way those cold violet eyes hardened even more and seemed to blacken; he was beginning to think it wasn’t a launcher after all.

**“I don’t get emotional very often, but when you stole that victory from me you really made me angry. So, I’m going to return the favor.”** The other informed in a darker and deeper tone, it being the last thing he heard before the trigger was pulled and a loud bang went off that was louder than the screams of the wind that had been cutting into him and louder than his own screams that ripped through his chest as he jolted upright in his bed.

Sweat was pouring down his face and neck, it having soaked through his tank top and making the fabric stick to his back like a second skin all the while his chest heaved on him like he’d been running for miles without stopping.

Running a hand down his face to wipe away the sweat it felt too heavy to even lift and do such a simple task, his entire body shaking as the lasting sounds from his dream continued to replay over and over in his head; the storm outside still raging and keeping every heightened sense of his on alert as the sounds mixed together inside his mind that made him feel like he was trapped in a hurricane than a simple thunderstorm.

Thankfully, after taking a very brief and quick glance around the room, the others were all still asleep and unaware of the silent torment he’d just been put through by his own subconscious. It’d been two years now since that battle, and he thought he’d been past it, but for a while now the nightmares had returned and he didn’t understand why; along with the pains he could feel in his ankle like he was now as if someone had come over to him and twisted it backwards suddenly.

Wanting to make sure he didn’t bother or burden the other’s around him, being as careful as he could given the pain he could feel in his ankle and everywhere else, he slowly pulled his covers back the rest of the way that had been nearly tossed off of him already, struggling to get himself on his own two feet and keeping most of his weight off his bad ankle.

What would normally have taken him a few seconds to just get to the door felt like hours before he was there, the pain in his ankle flaring to the point it brought tears to his golden eyes every time he had to step down on it. When he did reach the door and narrow hall he shouldered his way along the wall, his jaw clenched and pupils quivering like they didn’t know whether to slit or not amongst the pain that was spiking through his body with every agonizing step.

His destination had been the kitchen but as the pain reached new levels, the storm and wind outside making his skin prick and shiver at every little noise, he decided to stop and slump against the wall halfway away from the dojo and where he felt the other’s would be safe from him making any noise.

Sliding down the wall with his back, taking in a heavy breath and wrapping his stiff fingers around his ankle, he tried to rub away the pain yet touching it did nothing for him. It neither sparked the pain or made it subside, forcing him to rub his fingers into it harder like it would somehow help yet all he’d manage to do was rub a sore on his own skin if he did it long enough. Luckily, his fingers got tired before he could and let his arms drop to the floor on either side of him, yet the pain still plagued him and he didn’t know how to make it stop; he never did he just wanted it to something desperately before he screamed. 

It shouldn’t even be hurting. It wasn’t the day before, or the one before that, or any of the days leading up to tonight. The only time it ever hurt was after a nightmare, after Bryan came back to haunt him and beat him down despite the fact that _he_ was the one that had won in the end.

Why after two years since that battle, why after he’d won that battle, why after not having seen or spoken to Bryan since that battle was he plagued still with these dreams he didn’t know. He just wanted them to stop. Wanted the pain and the tears to stop. He was stronger than this, so he’d been told, been led to believe. He had the other’s looking up to him at all times; he couldn’t let them down if they saw him like this and he never did let them.

If he did manage to wake one of them up in the middle of the night with his tossing and turning or crying, he always played it off, made a joke and painted on a smile on his face to ease the worry that covered theirs. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, burden them with his own problems. It had been his battle then; it was still his battle now. 

He’d seen Kai have plenty of sleepless nights before or seen him twist and turn in his own sleep due to his own nightmares from his battles, and still shady past. It seemed as though the two of them were almost cut from the same cloth as neither of them reached out to anyone else about it, yet there seemed to be some form of silent understanding between them if they caught the other awake in the middle of the night after a bad one while drenched in sweat, eyes bleary, wide, confused, and scared like they didn’t know where they were or if they were indeed safe until they realized they were just by making that simple eye contact.

Tonight though he was on his own, Kai had been sound asleep just a few feet away from him, just like the others, and although he wouldn’t have minded looking into those crimson eyes just to help remind him that he was home he didn’t want to burden Kai when he needed the sleep just as badly as he did himself, and even though his mind was tired and his body was slowly beginning to feel like his own without the stinging and sharp shooting pains it had been plagued with for what seemed hours now, he didn’t want to go back to bed, didn’t want to close his eyes and fall back into that same darkness that swallowed him whole and suffocated him to the point he choked on nothing.

His body involuntarily shuddered at the memory, arms wrapping themselves around his bare arms as a chill swept right through him and the thunder outside shook the floor causing him to flinch against the wall he’d been propped up against.

After a few deep and calming breaths, the grip he had around himself loosened some before he pierced his own skin with his claws. Once more he was left fighting to stand up on his own, using the wall to steady himself till he was sure he wouldn’t just come crashing back down to the floor once he was stood. The pains in his body were now finally gone, whatever lasting sounds that had been echoing in his ears were now drowned out by the real world noises going on and the booming of the thunder elsewhere as it was passing overhead.

Instead of returning back to the dojo and his bed, Ray went down the hall in the opposite direction yet didn’t go towards the kitchen either like he’d originally planned to before. He didn’t really have much of a plan, not one that he had coherently thought of at least, letting his feet just carry him wherever throughout Tyson’s darkened and quiet house as the rest of the world slept.

With no real destination in mind he somehow found himself outside on the front porch, the harsh winds blowing in the cold rain where it attacked him on the arms, legs, and face and quickly chilling him yet he didn’t retreat back inside as it felt refreshing on his still flushed and sweat laced skin. Instead, his feet inched him closer to the edge of the porch, the rain splattering the wood and making it slippery while soaking into his clothes now that he was nearly standing under the downpour itself.

It wasn’t the lightning that had flashed across the sky that scared him, or even the loud rumble or crack once it hit the Earth that shook him up. It was the wind that felt like it was cutting into him again, tearing through his clothes as it howled loudly through the trees yet he continued to stand there just like he did then. Letting it rip flesh from bone and spill his blood, though tonight no new wounds were created as he lifted a hand out from under the cover of the roof where the cold rain splattered into the palm of his hand as he watched it like he were mesmerized or it was the first time he’d ever seen rain in his life.

It was cold on his skin but at the same time felt warm, welcoming almost, that it seemed to be beckoning him out into it and without a proper thought his feet took him down off the porch into the soaked and muddy yard. His hair and clothes soaked instantly in the down pour and stuck to his skin instantly, and although his skin was ice cold he felt warm on the inside as soon as he realized he wasn’t in any pain. If anything, he felt alive. Relieved.

Lightning flashed overhead, it brightening up the night sky in a mighty and bright flash that made his golden eyes glow in the brief light it had provided. The sound of it cracking off in the distance made his ears twitch and his skin prick, the hair on his neck standing on end some as he felt like a fire had been lit inside the pit of his belly from nowhere as if he’d just heard Driger’s battle cries clash together with the thunder that had roared above him.

Why had he been so terrified before? It was just wind. Bryan was just another kid like he had been. It hurt like hell, still hurt sometimes, but he’d been the winner. He was the tiger that had hunted down his prey like a mighty predator and knocked the falcon right out of the sky.

So why did he fear sleeping? Why did he fear closing his eyes every night and what was waiting for him on the other side of consciousness? He didn’t know…

He’d been able to control the outcome of the battle back then, but when in sleep he had no control and was left to whatever Bryan decided to do to him that night; and no two nights were the same.

The bigger questions he still had yet to find his answers for were whether or not if he hated Bryan for all that’d he’d done, or if he forgave him knowing it wasn’t really his fault for having to do what he did. Or, did he pity him out of everything else because of all that he knew and then pity Bryan for the things he didn’t know?

There was still so much that seemed to be missing about those other boys that had been under Boris, yet Ray wasn’t brave or curious enough to ask anyone who would even know. Nor did he really feel like he wanted to know either, it wouldn’t change the outcome of what had happened two years ago, wouldn’t change the fact that he was having nightmares over a battle he’d won and over another person he hadn’t seen since then either. 

If that was the case then, then why did he have to forgive him? What good would it do anyone, especially him, for forgiving Bryan? But then, on the same hand, what good did it do him holding onto the resentment he knew he did have buried deep down?

He wished he had the answers, wished he wasn’t plagued with these problems to start with, yet because of them he was glad at the same time it was him dealing with it as he wouldn’t want Tyson or Max having to be the ones waking up like he was or having pains in his body for no reason. And Heaven knew Kai didn’t need more nightmare fuel.

In a way he was glad it was his burden to bear, his battle to fight and continue fighting, and if he had to do it silently for the rest of his life to keep the other’s smiling around him while he faked his own then that’s what he would do.

He had to.


	2. Burning the Itch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had a year left before he was supposed to move on from blading, and then what though? He was still trying to make up for all the bullshit he’d gone and pulled the past year, but he knew it wasn’t enough and never would be so what more could he do to show them all just how sorry he was? 
> 
> And he was sorry. So, so sorry….

**Burning the Itch.**   
  
**Characters: Kai and Brooklyn.**

* * *

With a gush, cold water came pouring down overhead, the sound of the droplets smacking into the tile of the shower splattering and filling the bathroom while the cold water slowly warmed up.

It had been a long, tiring, day and Kai was more than ready to wash it all away and start anew in the morning.

If it wasn’t one thing, it had just been another that made him snap earlier that day at one of them but they couldn’t really blame him. He hadn’t slept well, again, and why would he after what he’d been put through a month ago?

He was pretty sure he had actually died only to wake up in an unknown hospital room with unknown faces hovering above him, the memories of how he even got there blurry as well as his vision.

By the time they’d explained where he was and why he’d already gone to ripping out his IV’s and putting on his clothes as he stumbled his way out of the hospital room, he hadn’t had time to deal with them poking and prodding him anymore; he had somewhere more important to be that day.

A light hum sat in the back of Kai’s throat at the memory as he stood under the warmed up water, wishing it would wash away his problems and somehow seep through his skull and cleanse out his worries while he stood there.

He had a year left before he was supposed to move on from blading, and then what though? He was still trying to make up for all the bullshit he’d gone and pulled the past year, but he knew it wasn’t enough and never would be so what more could he do to show them all just how sorry he was?

And he was sorry. So, so sorry….

The hum that had been in the back of his throat faded to a small grunt of displeasure as his chest began to ache, the scars that were present and stuck out amongst his pale skin feeling like they were on fire suddenly that he quickly shot a hand out to turn the water colder, yet as his hand reached for the dial he only smacked the wet wall and cracked his fingers against it.

Taking a minute, and a deep breath as his other hand started to lightly scratch at the burning scars on his chest, the one against the wall began to move around almost blindly for the handle up and down, side to side, until he was sure he had it and threw the handle to the side to turn the water down so the burning would subside. The second he could feel the water turn to ice on his skin, the hand that had been gripping the handle moved to his right eye and pressed the heel of his palm as hard as he could into it to get the blurriness in it to go away.

He hadn’t even noticed when it began to go, he never did either, which only made the entire thing more nerve wracking than it should have been. It was a gradual loss, one minute he was seeing things crystal clear and then the next what he thought was in front of him was to the side or not there at all and it was always his right eye; the same one that had a long gnash running through it from his brow to his cheek bone.

It was very flattering, so Tyson had commented once the bandages had come off and all Kai could do was scoff in response and walk away and pray he didn’t smack himself into a wall.

But really, he was fine. It was going to be fine. He was Kai Fucking Hiwatari. He survived the Abbey as a child, endured worse than a few scars and scrapes. A little dust in his eye was nothing, just needed to fully flush out; never mind that it’d been a month going on two now since it happened…

With the water colder, the scars still burning on his chest, he scratched harder until he was sure skin was beginning to tear and he forced himself to stop when the cold water stung the now opened wound and he let out a hiss through his teeth at what he’d gone and done to himself.

The hiss turned into a sigh as he caught the bit of blood trickling down his stomach and into the drain, mixing with the water, and knowing it was going to sting worse he still reached for his body wash where he always kept it only for his vision to black out on him again in that split second he was searching out for his bottle that he knocked it over and onto the ground by his feet, the clattering of it smacking into the tile making him jump some out of his skin as he cursed under his breath.

Closing his bad eye to focus on the bottle at his feet, he finally found it and picked it up when there came a knock on the bathroom door, making him and his heart jump into his throat at the same time while it beat frantically.

“You okay in there?”

He had to swallow his nerves before he answered, knowing his voice would shake out of him if he had tried to speak right away and nodded back even if Max couldn’t see him from behind the closed door.

“I’m fine!” He shouted back before his voice trailed off, “Just dropped the damn soap….”

There wasn’t a response on the other side right away, and for a minute Kai was sure Max had left until there was another knock on the door yet this time he didn’t jump so hard.

“Okay, just making sure.”

Kai waited for a while to see if Max had anymore to say yet all he was graced with was silence, and finally able to focus on washing his stench of the day away now that he was left alone and the burning on his chest had vanished, he got down to it as quickly as he could to the point that he scrubbed so hard his pale skin almost glowed red.

In a way he knew what he was doing, and why, and at the same time it was just the way he washed himself. Always had. Like if he didn’t scrub hard enough the sins of the day, the sins of the past and their fingerprints would still lay embedded on his skin for all the world to see. And how could he let them see? How would they see him if they knew all of the ways he’d been touched, been tormented? They wouldn’t look at him the same way again if they knew, he had to protect their view of him and he had to protect himself from their scrutinizing gaze.

Throwing the water back to as hot as he could make it to wash away the suds and sins, making his already reddened skin flare with the rough treatment he’d gone and given himself, he scrubbed it away harder as the familiar sting of tears pricked his eyes and his entire body tensed at the memories flooding through his head.

If one looked hard enough they’d see the nail indents on his upper arms that were years old, they’d see the remaining bite marks on the back of his neck and shoulder that had scabbed and scarred over just like the rest of them all up and down his backside. And it didn’t matter how hard he scrubbed at them they remained, but unlike the ones on his chest they didn’t burn or itch at random times or when his mind dived down to the darkest depths to haunt and torment himself.

Of all the things he’d been through in his short life, he’d never experienced lasting pain like the kind Brooklyn had bestowed upon him. Maybe it was because it’d only just happened, so at least he’d told himself, just needed to give it time before it became a far off memory that didn’t bother him as badly. Yet, that didn’t explain the burning or itching when he did think about it. And worse. It didn’t fix or stop the nightmares…

By the time the other’s had been up and in their own showers for the night, Kai had already been settled down in his own bed, arms behind his head and eyes closed as the other three ran around him loudly while they got their own futons rolled out along the floor in their normal spots and ready for the long night. Excitement laced in their voices for the next day they were all seemingly looking forward to, yet Kai remained silent as he laid there and let them talk over the top of him like he wasn’t actually there.

Soon enough the rounds of goodnights were passed around, the lights were flicked off and Tyson’s snoring quickly filled the room like it always did right on time. It was like clockwork almost, different days but same nightly routines even after the past two years of being around them all. It was home… In a way. A comfort Kai hadn’t really known for most of his life, struggled to accept and sometimes still struggled to accept.

After all he’d done, not just this past year but their first year as a team, he couldn’t ever really grasp why they continued to cling to him like they did. Why they insisted he was part of their little ‘family’ and team despite him being as cold as a block of ice about it, and it wasn’t like he was playing hard to get he truly wanted nothing to do with them at the start. But now… Now he still wasn’t so sure.

There was always a lot to unpack when he got lost in his own head about it all, seemingly swimming through endless thoughts and always warring with himself on whether or not he should stay or go for good. Commit to them fully like they always seemed to want, but then what?

Open up to them? Tell them about his past? About the abuse, about the way he’d been brainwashed since he was six to believe that friends or any kind of connection was worthless and at times he truly did believe that philosophy?

At the same time he wanted to look them in the eyes and ask them, yell at them and demand to know what made him so goddam special they put up with him all the time and his bad attitude. Surely they all weren’t masochists down underneath?

Whatever the reasons they had, or the reasons he had, he didn’t have the answers and after an hour of the back and forth in his own head about it all he’d finally drifted off into a light sleep with the rest of them as his body twitched slightly before it rolled onto his side, curling in on himself to keep his body heat even though it wasn’t a particularly cold night and the blanket was heavy enough to keep out any unwanted drafts.

For a while it was peaceful, the entire house in silent slumber with the odd shuffle and rustle of sheets as a leg kicked or a giggle escaped through a crooked grin.

Like glass breaking, the peacefulness shattered when crimson eyes blew wide open and Kai shot up in his bed, drenched in sweat and struggling to breathe. The burning on his chest was intense, just like it always was whenever he was taken back to that time, that he couldn’t stop himself from scratching at the scars under his nightshirt immediately and he heaved in for a breath of fresh air while those teal eyes continued to pierce through his and those fair lips curled into a wicked smirk while he lay there drowning in a pool of his own blood, arm outstretched but no one reaching back…

It wasn’t just the color of those eyes that sent chills down his spine either, it was the way they looked. Slit and demonic. Ray’s eyes slit but not like that, nor did he ever look at someone with a sadistic hunger in them like Brooklyn had.

And that was exactly how Brooklyn had looked just moments ago, hovering over him while he drowned, bleeding and dying all over again as his screams didn’t even make it past his dry lips all the while Brooklyn laughed and taunted him from above like a God of death.

If it wasn’t Boris or Voltaire coming back to torment him in the night, or one of the scientists that were mainly faceless, it was Brooklyn now. Just one more being that had been able to put their hands on him, mark up his skin like it was theirs to do with or their right. And it _burned._ Burned in a way it never had before, itching to the point he was sure he reopened the middle scar on his chest but was too frantic to care as he could feel the very real blood seep into his nightshirt as he scratched and scratched like it would somehow make everything just stop.

“Kai?”

His own name, even with it having been so softly spoken, made his hand come to a dead stop and his head to snap up but in the darkness, and with his right eye blurred out, it was hard to really see the cat-like eyes staring back at him even if they slightly glowed in the dark.

The hand on his chest fell away, his shirt wrinkled and fabric beginning to stick to the bit of blood it had soaked into as Kai adverted his gaze from Ray’s.

He wasn’t sure if he’d woken him up, or if Ray had been awake all along and had witnessed that performance or not and currently he wasn’t so sure if he was glad he wasn’t alone right now or not. He could still feel Ray’s eyes on him, even through the darkness, but beyond his name Ray hadn’t said anything more and Kai wasn’t so sure if he would.

If he had woken the other up then surely Ray would just lay back down, go to sleep, but the way his voice had sounded off, maybe Ray had woken up because of his own tormentors? Kai didn’t know, nor did he care to ask or even utter a word of his own even when Ray began to pick himself up out of his bed quietly.

Kai’s attention dragged back to him quickly, having to squint to see Ray’s silhouette quietly walk towards the door as he left the dojo and the other’s sleeping and Kai found himself quickly throwing his covers off to follow him but not before rooting in his bag blindly.

His body was shaking, yet his breath had finally come back to him and his heart had slowed to its normal rhythm now as he followed Ray out to the front of the house and outside. Even if they had been wide awake now, and walking together, neither said a word to the other the entire time since they’d woken up.

Whatever reason’s Ray had were his own, Kai wasn’t going to intrude on him and get into his head when his own was still too cloudy to properly think straight currently.

Still shaking but trying to play it off for the benefit of the other being right there beside him, Kai lowered himself down on the edge of the porch as the night air swept past them and gave them both the gentle reminder that they were awake now. They were both safe.

Rooting in his pajama pocket he plucked out his nearly crushed carton of cigarettes that he'd quickly grabbed from his bag and stuffed in there when they had made their exit from the dojo, lighting one between his lips and inhaled like it'd give him life and closed his eyes as the almost intoxicating smell surrounded them.

Noticing the slight shift beside him as the smoke curled from the end, knowing the smell was probably a lot stronger for Ray than it was for him, he in turn moved a few inches away from the other to give him some breathing room but was still close enough to each other they didn't feel so alone right now.

He had caught the other eyeing him when he'd grabbed his pack and lit up, but like always Ray never said anything about it, either he never dared to or he truly didn't care about the bad habit Kai had picked up a few weeks back. Tyson was none the wiser to it, which he was thankful for, and while Max had caught him on more than one occasion he refrained from saying anything about it as well. If he had, Kai wasn't sure if he'd had punched him for it or ignored it though seeing as how he only ever did light up when his nerves were on the verge of snapping and he'd just been to hell and back in his sleep. Either way he was just grateful nobody seemed to be breathing down his neck about it.

Of course it didn't really help even if he told himself it did. It never took the edge off or relaxed his tensed up muscles. It was just a lie. All of it was a lie.

There wasn't a way for him to really, truly, relax after a nightmare like the ones he had. No way for him to get it out of his head quicker no matter how much he pleaded and begged for a way out.

They say talking helps but he was never big on that to begin with. They say leaning on your friends helps but how could he keep burdening them with him just being... Him?

He'd told himself more than once it was his fault, had been his battle to fight and despite winning it he was still somehow left to fight it. Why he chose to go it alone he wasn't so sure though, it just felt right doing it alone even if the years of learning that the others were always there for him no matter what said otherwise. He was and forever would be the black sheep of their little family, mainly due to his own making.

With a deep inhale, the smoke filling his chest, his shoulders finally came forward some and he found himself being able to breathe a bit easier even with the toxic fumes seeping into his lungs now. While he sat there he had to refrain from scratching at his chest as the scars laid into his skin continued to burn and if it wasn't for Ray sitting there, off in his own head it seemed, he would have but once more was torn on actually showing any kind of weakness to one of the others despite Ray possibly having seen him scratching at them earlier.

_They_ looked up to him. _They_ depended on him to be stronger than this. And he swore he was. He thought he was. But he wasn't so sure anymore...

How could he be sure of that when he was waking up in a cold sweat almost nightly, panting and gasping for air after it felt like he'd swallowed an entire bucket of tar? Every time he was left to sit there and shake, eyes wide and in a panic induced frenzy until they managed to lock onto something recognizable; and that was only _if_ the one wasn't giving him any problems at the time either.

He was glad tonight he didn't have to sit there alone, even if it meant Ray was awake because he too was suffering from some unspoken problem himself. But if Ray wasn't going to say anything than neither was he, why should he? The silence was fine by him in all honesty, enjoyed it more than a rundown about their own problems that neither probably had an answer for anyways. It's why he didn't mind sitting outside with Ray like this when they were both up from a bad one. Ray didn't seem to want to burden him, and he didn't want to burden Ray either yet in the silence between them it meant that whatever demons were in their heads were left to scream as loud as they wanted to and he wasn’t so sure if that was something he could handle tonight.

There had to be a way out, yet he didn’t know of one. Not yet at least and the sinking realization that he never would slowly began to seep into his head, and that terrified him more than anything.

He should have had the answers, he was good for those kinds of things, he _needed_ the answers because if he didn’t have them he was surely going to go insane.

Maybe if he talked… Maybe if he did open up?

With an exhale of the smoke he’d been holding onto in the pockets of his cheeks, he turned to face Ray only for his brow to go slightly up when he took notice of the other fiddling with his crushed carton of cigarettes in his hands. Dark brows furrowed and hands still shaking, though Kai was unsure if it was from having woken up like he had or if it was because Ray was thinking what Kai was thinking he was fixing to do.

With a gentle nudge of the other’s shoulder and grabbing his attention, Kai held his hand out for the carton and dumped one cigarette out before holding it out to Ray who hesitated for a minute till he took it and still looked unsure of himself. Kai wasn’t going to lie to him though and say it helped, let him figure it out.

Snubbing out the old in exchange for a new one himself, Kai lit up the new one between his lips before motioning Ray to come closer, using the end of his to light Ray’s and between them the smoke was thicker, burning and stinging Ray’s eyes and as he inhaled he choked immediately from swallowing the smoke, quickly pulling the cigarette from his mouth as he cough and sputtered.

Kai gave him a few pats on his back that didn’t do anything but make Ray feel like he was a child, still coughing and sputtering out heaving breaths all the while Kai fought down every chuckle and laugh he could feel rising out of him until he just couldn’t hold it back anymore, his head going back as the laugh erupted from deep in his belly and nearly echoed around the yard.

Although he was deeply amused the other beside him was anything but, an elbow quickly getting rammed into Kai’s side to let him know so but that only made him laugh harder even with the dull ache racing up his side as well as the cramping that began to set in.

He couldn’t remember the last time he actually laughed like this. It hurt just as much as it felt good, and the best part was his chest wasn’t and hadn’t been burning for sometime now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Trashy who let me use her head canon about Kai going blind after his battle with Brooklyn.


	3. Weathering the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to... Whatever this is. But here we go.
> 
> Main characters for this one-shot:
> 
> Tyson
> 
> Tala.
> 
> The original idea was to try and focus on the after math of his match with Tala from season one, but ended up going into a different route, yet Tala does make an appearance. Just cus I kinda promised he'd be there.
> 
> This is set after the first season ends and before V-Force begins.
> 
> Enjoy!

He'd worn a big smile the moment the slipped the gold medal around his neck. Worn an even bigger smile for all the press photos that had been taken of him and teammates. The smile not fading even long after they were bused to the airport and given their tickets for home.

Sure, he was upset that after months of fun adventures and traveling together as a really weird little bro-hood that things were going back to 'normal', but he'd missed home just as much. Was in the mood for a few large bowls of Grandpa's home cooked rice and pork. Could practically taste it now, too.

They all had a great time, minus a few hiccups here and there but that was beside the point since they did it. _They_ were the world champions and stopped some crazy evil genius from taking over the world with his weird man-made bitbeasts.

That was something to be proud of. And he was. And he would miss them, he really would, but that bowl of pork and rice was calling his name and when their plane was ready to board another huge grin plastered over his face, arm frantically going as he shouted his goodbyes to the others who were still off on the sidelines waiting for their own flights.

Why Kai wasn't coming on the plane with him back to Japan, since he was going back, he didn't bother to ask and of course Kai didn't bother giving an explanation, so he took who he did have by the arm and hauled ass through the tunnel towards the plane to find their seats as Kenny's feet nearly lifted off the ground with the pull and tug as Tyson dragged him onto the plane with Grandpa and his father leisurely walking behind.

Even with them sitting down, Tyson was still bouncing in his seat. Was only a few hours before they'd land, but he was more than ready to be done and gone away from Russia and back on Japanese soil.

He'd ended up going and passing out, missing most of the flight, but even still his eyes lit up the second they opened as the familiar landscapes came into view about them as the wheels of the plane touched ground and he was once more bouncing in his seat, hyped and pumped like he hadn't just spent the past several hours being tossed and thrown about by Dickenson for pictures or hounded by paparazzi and the press before they even got to the airport.

When they finally were able to exit the plane, Kenny's parents standing there waiting for him, the littlest of the bunch ran straight for them like he was cannon ball being shot out of a canon with his arms wide open and wrapped up by his mother who did all she could not to crumble as she cradled her baby to her chest.

Even from where he was standing, Tyson could hear Kenny's all too well known high pitched voice going off a mile a minute to relive their adventures to his parents at lightning speed once the embrace between the three family members had ended, and without so much as a look back Kenny was gone through the glass doors and out of sight.

Tyson had put his hand up to wave him off, grin falling ever so slightly off his face as a more dumbstruck one settled over him, fingers curling into a fist as his arm dropped limply back to his side.

Well. That was fine. Understandable even. Kenny hadn't seen his folks in months. Was okay, he'd probably show up at the dojo tomorrow anyways. No biggie.

With a hand coming down on each of his shoulders, bringing him back to the world around him, he looked up to see his father and grandfather stood on either side of him ready to get a move on to their own house.

The grin that had fallen was quickly back up in place, taking the lead and marching the three of them out of the airport and baggage claim to find a cab that would take them home.

* * *

Dropping his bag down by his bed that he hadn't seen in what felt like forever, Tyson stood in the middle of his room and gave it a good look over like it was the first time ever stepping foot into the room with his hands on his hips and taking a deep inhale of the familiar scent that was still present.

Finally. He was home.

And… Really lonely all of a sudden when he looked over his shoulders and realized that there was no one else there behind him for once.

It was almost odd, really, not seeing the other's there around him. Or hearing Max's excited voice cracking a joke about something, or Kenny even giving a quick lesson about something. Hell. He even missed Kai's permanent grumpy expression towering over him right now as he stood like a lemon in his own room that suddenly felt like he was in the wrong place.

He was happy, of course he was, but that didn't make the hole in his chest that had started to open up inside him any as he felt winded almost.

"TYSON, GURBS UP MY DUDE!"

But nothing filled an empty hole like delicious pork and rice!

With a cloud of dust lifting behind him, socks slipping on the floor as he spun around to run out of his room, he was gone like a shot towards the kitchen to eat. Not realizing just how starved he actually was till the sweet, sweet aromas wafted up his nose and made love to his insides when he got sat down and engulfed his first helping in a matter of seconds.

"Can I have more?!" He asked, holding out his bowl for another helping.

Grandpa just chuckled under his thick mustache, nodding as he scooped more rice and pork into Tyson's outstretched bowl for him. He'd missed him something awful since the little dude had been gone, was glad to have him back and more than happy to see that Tyson, like usual, hadn't changed any.

* * *

Like a slug, Tyson's feet dragged him along the porch around the dojo, listening to his grandfather inside teaching a kendo class that he _should_ have been in but just didn't have the energy or want to attend today.

It'd been a week? A month, maybe? Now that he'd been back home and that hole that had appeared in his chest when he first got back had only seemed to grow regardless of what he'd done to fill it.

Food wasn't tasting the same anymore, his games bored him, and he hadn't touched Dragoon much less looked at him since he put him on his shelf by his bed.

The big kicker, he didn't even know why he was feeling this way. Not after the excitement that had filled him from his head to his toes about coming and actually being home.

Yet, he hadn't really heard from any of the others either since he got back. Had been one hundred percent sure Kenny would have shown up at some point but there were no signs of him even just lurking about, and when Tyson had gone over to see him a few days ago even the ramen shop was closed down.

He could only guess they went on vacation or something. Just, would have been nice to have been told…

He tried calling Max one day but with the time difference between Japan and the States, since Max went back there with his mom, was difficult to maneuver around. By the time Tyson was waking up Max was going to bed and whatever they had to say to each other was either very brief or just a simple "miss you."

And he did. He missed him something horrible right now…

Kai. Who knew what happened to him, wasn't like Tyson had been given any contact information for him so that was a no go and with Ray living who knows where in the middle of China it wasn't like he could just call him up on a whim and ask how he was doing.

By all accounts, for the first time in months, he was alone and he didn't know what to do with himself about it.

He still had a few weeks before school started again, lucky him, but that of course didn't perk him up any. School wasn't his best subject. Yet that still didn't help him in the here and now. And he needed something before he went and drove himself crazy.

Come dinner time, he just sat there staring at the bowl of pork and rice sitting in front of him while his grandfather ate quietly on the other side of the table of him. His father had gone back to work a week ago so it was just them, again, in their little abode.

"Everythin okay there T-bone?" Gramps asked when he finally took notice of the far off look in Tyson's eyes as he just sat there. Wasn't like him. By now he'd be on his fifth helping. Pork and rice was Tyson's favorite.

Tyson nodded back silently before he eased himself up from the floor, "I'm goin to bed. Night grandpa." He voiced in a droned off tone, eyes downcast as they watched his feet shuffle along the floor.

Grandpa's head swiveled to follow him out, a deep frown beginning to set under his mustache as he watched his little dude disappear around the corner of the kitchen and then glanced back to the still full bowl of food Tyson had left behind.

What was up with the little dude? Was he sick? Did _he_ pry?

Of course he did…

Getting off his old bones, he followed Tyson to his room at a safe distance, watching the youngster go at a snails pace to his room with his head still hung down where his bangs fell over his face.

Before the door could even close behind him, Grandpa was stepping into the room with him, though Tyson didn't seem to notice as he went right for his bed in the corner of the room and flopped on it belly and face first.

"What's shakin ya up so much my dude?" Gramps asked as he grabbed the desk chair by the bed, rolling it out and resting down on the seat as he faced Tyson laid out on his bed.

"Nothin." Tyson grumbled back to him; cheek smooshed into the mattress of his bed as he laid there like he was dead.

"Don't seem like nothin."

"Well it is! Okay?! I'm fine, just not hungry tonight!" Tyson snapped back, lifting his head and harshly turning it towards his wall so he didn't have to look at his grandfather sitting there and interrogating him, letting it hit the mattress like before with his other cheek now smooshed into the mattress.

Like he was popping a piece of gum, Gramps pursed his lips a little till they smacked together. Patting his knees under his usual kendo get-up before he eased himself up from the desk chair, leaving Tyson to sulk on his own since that's what he seemed to want right now.

He paused at the door way, turning to look over his shoulder at the sad lump on the bed as a sigh escaped through his nose.

"Ya know, if ya need ta talk bout anythin, I'm always here for ya."

Tyson just laid there like he didn't hear him, finally pulling his legs that had been hanging off the side of the bed up into his chest as he curled on his side facing the wall.

Taking that as his cue to leave him be, letting his last words hang in the air around them, Grandpa took his leave and shut the door behind him as he went back to his dinner.

With the soft click of the door closing, Tyson peeked over his shoulder to realize he was alone. Again. Tears instantly pricking at his eyes that he didn't have a rhyme or reason for, harshly wiping at them before they had a chance to fall and curled in on himself tighter as he dragged his pillow to his chest with an angry pout settling over his lips.

Well fine then. If that's how everyone wanted to treat him then he'd just do the same!

Kenny? Who needs him now that the tournament is over? Was just there to tweak up their blades anyways.

Kai? Dude barely spoke more than three words half the time and of course would rather be alone, so might as well not even worry about what happened to him.

Ray? Still not either of their faults they fell out of touch, but Tyson was sure they at least got mail! Could have given him his address and he didn't. So who needed him either?

Max… Well… That was a different story. That was his best buddy. Time zones were just a bitch. But even still, if Tyson was asked he'd stay up late to talk to him if it meant actually having a conversation with him for once! So who needed Max at this point either?!

If he wasn't worth any of their time then they weren't worth any of _his._

* * *

As the days passed, the hole in his chest getting to the point nothing he did filled it any, Tyson slumped and dragged himself about the house and dojo with a glum look permanently painted on his features.

He'd never, not once in his life, felt as alone as he did now. His dad was gone again, his mother was dead, brother gone off to college. Sure, he had Gramps but every time he tried talking to Tyson the youngster would snap at him and he didn't even know why.

He wanted company, was practically starving for it, yet when Gramps went to give it to him he dismissed him at every turn he could. His snapping getting to the point that Grandpa eventually gave up in trying to do anything for him yet would always make sure Tyson had a plate for dinner or breakfast and lunch.

He didn't know what had happened, or why Tyson was acting this way. He'd given him lip plenty of times before since Tyson learned how to talk, but this was getting excessive and to the point he was growing grayer by the minute.

He just wanted his little home dog back.

With neither knowing what to do about anything, the days that followed only got gloomier. The snapping had stopped but that was only because Grandpa had backed off, though in turn because he had that dark cloud and hole in Tyson's chest continued to grow.

Another day had gone by in the blink of an eye, where it had gone Tyson wasn't sure as he slumped his way to his room quietly after having tried to zone out in front of the TV but like most things he hadn't been focusing or paying attention to anything that was showing. It had really just been used as background noise for him as he laid on the couch.

Not bothering with changing clothes, he grabbed the blanket off his bed and wrapped it around him like a cocoon before just falling right onto the mattress, it bouncing some under his weight, where he curled in on himself facing the wall.

His eyes had closed but he was far from asleep. Laying there wide awake in his own darkness, barely listening to whatever it was Gramps was doing shuffling about the house down the hall.

Was just more background noise. Nothing special.

The longer he laid there, eyes not even heavy despite them still being closed, a shiver ran down his spine from nowhere like there was a draft in the air. Yet, neither his windows or doors were open and he was bundled up so tight in his blanket he was sure there hadn't been a way for any kind of outside wind to attack him.

He shifted a little, pulling the blanket around his shoulders tighter just in case. Wasn't particularly cold out, or even that windy from what he could hear outside. Was a decent night out but another cold chill ran down his spine, making him shiver harder and his skin to prick with goosebumps like someone had come in and touched his arm in a ghostly touch.

That jolted him slightly, putting his own hand to his arm to try and tame the goosebumps that had risen while he continued to violently shiver on his bed and still wrapped up tightly.

His heart rate had increased for no real reason, but it was thumping faster and louder in his chest as those chills continued to roll down his spine.

Then, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end when he heard the soft laughter and sound of feet padding behind him, coming closer to the side of his bed where he lay.

Eyes snapping wide open, the air in the room close to freezing now even under his blanket, Tyson's head whipped around over his shoulder as he laid on his side where they widened even more at what he saw standing over his bed.

The pale face that hung over him was twisted up in a maniacal grin, teeth showing, and those icy blue eyes bearing down at him as Tala just stood there at his bedside.

Tyson, like the room, became frozen in place as all he could do was stare back at the other standing there. Not even questioning how or why as the moment seemed almost like a dream.

"Alone, are we?" Tala's cool voice seeped out of him, breaking the frozen spell that had been casted over Tyson.

Tyson's brows furrowed, teeth chattering on him as he forced himself to roll over, the blanket wrapped around him making it difficult as he struggled to get untangled from it while Tala watched with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Don't bother getting up on my account." Tala sent down to him, the amusement clear in his tone as Tyson continued to struggle out of his entrapment.

"I'm just here for a friendly little chat." He continued, the air around them still dropping to the point Tyson's toes were going numb now.

He felt this before, knew he had, back when they faced each other off in the finals and Tala had ensnared them in a block of ice.

Even back then, though he had been wide awake, felt like a dream. So was this a dream or not now?

He didn't know. Just knew one thing and that was getting the hell out of his prison of a blanket to get Tala out of his house and out of his life.

He hadn't even given the other a second thought. Why would he? Tala had been the opponent, lost, and that was it to him. Whatever happened to the Demolition Boys after they had left Russia hadn't ever been a question on his mind. All he had cared about, at the time, was getting to come home.

"W-what's there to c-chat about?" Tyson bit back through his chattering teeth, having gotten himself turned up and on his knees but the blanket was still wrapped around him that he couldn't seem to get out of now.

That twisted smile creeped back up Tala's pale face, his right hand coming out slowly and cupping under Tyson's chin where he made sure their eyes locked as he leaned down close enough Tyson could feel his cold breath against his chilled face.

"I just wanted to know, call it morbid curiosity or whatever you'd like, but now that you're all alone, would you be able to actually beat me this time?"

Despite being scared shitless, Tyson let a mocking laugh erupt from his throat at the audacity of this guy.

"What makes you think I can't?" He bit back in a more firmer tone, controlling his teeth long enough not to stutter his words.

Tala enjoyed the challenging look and tone being thrown his way, his fingers around Tyson's lower chin and jaw tightening their hold on him.

"Because both you and I know, that without the help of your little _friends_ , you would have lost. You didn't stand a chance against me. Never would." His voice deepened, own eyes narrowing now with his own challenging look.

"I didn't need them! I _don't_ need them!" Tyson spat back after his mouth had gaped open slightly at Tala's words, trying his best to shake off all the chills still running down him.

A low chuckle escaped Tala's chest at that, his head slowly shaking. "You're weak."

"How dare you!" Tyson shouted louder, knees lifting him up but arms still trapped at his sides by his blanket.

"You know nothing about me!"

"I know enough." Tala coolly cooed back at him, "Because look at you. Wallowing in this self-pity all because your lil buddies aren't here with you now. Spineless. That's what you are."

"They left me!" Tyson shouted back at him, ignoring the way Tala's words cut through that open hole in his chest and the tears suddenly pricking at his eyes.

"Did they now?"

"Yes! Of course they did, if they hadn't then they'd be here right now and we'd kick your ass."

Tala's lips smacked together before a smile stretched along his face, "And right there is my point, _Tyson._ You can't do anything without them, so just be honest about it yourself."

Tyson's mouth stuttered for a comeback yet nothing coherent came out of him as he shivered, the tears that had collected in the corners of his eyes hanging dangerously close to falling.

"Kai never wanted to be a part of the team to start with. Kenny only tagged along because you wanted him there. As for Ray, he just had nothing better to do with his time. And Max. Oh your sweet dear little Max can't even call you now because he's too busy spending time with his mother.

"It was never going to last. They had better things waiting for them when they got home. And what did you have? Your father left the second he could again, your grandfather only pretends to care because he doesn't want to deal with your mouth unless it's sucking down food. And you haven't been in contact with your brother since he high tailed it out of here for college two years ago.

"So tell me Tyson. What do you actually have?" Tala cooed darkly and sweetly at him, the fingers pinching either side of Tyson's jaw only getting tighter.

Since he couldn't move, Tyson's eyes darted to the shelf where Dragoon sat. Left abandoned there since he got back. Left untouched all this time and all the sudden he felt a pang of guilt swirl in his stomach as the tears finally rolled down his chilled face.

He had Dragoon. But he did to Dragoon what the others did to him. Put him on a shelf and ignored him like he wasn't important or hadn't been important all this time.

But they were still important, just as Dragoon was now. Just as he was. That's why it had hurt so badly, why he felt so alone.

They all had their own lives, he knew that, he just wanted to continue being a part of them. He hadn't expected them all to just fall out now it was all said and done, they were still his friends.

"I still have them. Even if they're not here with me." Tyson growled back, eyes darting away from Dragoon sitting upon his shelf back to the blue eyes staring him down only an inch or two away.

"I don't know about you, what you were brainwashed into thinking, but friends just don't come and go that easily. Sure, we may not be together right now but that doesn't mean we won't see each other again.

"They're important to me, here or not, and I know I'm just as important to them as they are to me. So I don't know what your beef is here with me, but I don't appreciate it or these mind games you're trying to play here, pal." He continued to growl out, feeling Tala's hold on his jaw slacken some.

"Yes, they were there for me when I beat your ass into the ground. But as it still stands _I_ beat _you_ and you can bet I'd do it again, without or without them cheering me on from the sidelines." As his words kept flowing out of him, the constriction of the blanket also slackened and he was able to finally get his arms unstuck from his sides and out from the thin material to come up and shove Tala by the shoulders away from him.

"You know nothing about the things we all went through together as a team, as _friends!_ Sure, Kai may not have wanted to be there but he still came back and stuck with us in the end. He helped us, saved us in a lot of jams.

"Kenny wasn't just there for me; he was there for all of us and to extend his own knowledge about the game. He was crucial, more than any of us were because if it wasn't for all he'd done we'd have been swimming upstream without a paddle!" He nearly screamed out, stepping off the side of his bed to meet Tala on even ground as he stalked up to him with a rage in his eyes.

"Ray could have gone back with his friends from the village but he didn't because he wanted his shot too, _with_ _us!_ He chose to be with us and befriend us and he took care of us more than I've seen anyone his age do.

"Max may have gone back home with his mom, but that's his mom! At least he has that option to see her in person and I don't want to get in the way of that! And my grandfather _loves_ me, unconditionally, and my father has a job and Hiro is doing what's best for his life right now. It doesn't mean we aren't still brothers or that we don't care about one another." He spat out, barely noticing that the chill in the air had vanished by the time he was done with his tirade that left him slightly winded now that it was done.

"I just miss them, okay? I didn't realize that was a crime!" He shot out like an afterthought, cutting off whatever it was Tala had been gearing up to say to him, his mouth snapping shut again as that amused glint in his eyes came back before he began to lightly laugh.

"What's so funny?" Tyson bit out, fists clenching at his sides. He was gonna deck the guy…

"Nothin really. Just happy ta see my little T-bone back to his usual self." Although it was Tala that had spoken to him, the voice that came from him wasn't his usual cool one as it had been Grandpa's voice coming out of his pale mouth.

Tyson's brows went up as his head tilted some, "Huh?!"

Tala's head threw back, more laughter erupting from within deep in his belly that the image of Tala slowly began to fade until Grandpa was stood in his place, Tyson finding himself actually sat down on his bed instead of standing like he had been with the blanket falling off around his shoulders limply and his hair tossed from sleep.

"You been in here yelling at yerself in your sleep for the past hour my dude, came in to check on ya cus you was scarin' me a little." Gramps informed given the dumbstruck look on Tyson's face, coming up and sitting on the bed beside him where he put a hand down on Tyson's back in comfort.

"But ya miss ya homies, I dig that man. It aint easy having to adjust after all those wild adventures y'all been on." He said, giving Tyson's back a gentle rub.

Tyson, although still dumbfounded felt the sense of relief wash over him when his grandfather's words rang in his ears.

It was just a dream then, all of it had been a dream.

Except the one part where Gramps had said he missed his friends, because that was very much his reality.

"Do you think they miss me too?" Tyson asked after a moment of silence, a waver hanging in his tone while his head drooped down to look at the floor beneath his feet.

"Of course they do, ya know they do. After you went and hit the hay an hour early, Max had been on the phone wanting ta talk with ya and Kenny rang shortly after now that him and his folks are back from their little shindig."

Tyson's head snapped up to him, eyes wide and excited. "They did?!"

Grandpa nodded, "Yup, told em to call back tomorrow and Kenny said he'd come over an see ya instead. Said he had somethin important ta tell ya and show ya."

Stars appeared in Tyson's eyes, quickly scrambling to push Grandpa off his bed.

"Well then get out, I gotta go to sleep so the sun will come up faster. Go, go, go!" He shouted as he pushed and shoved, Gramps just chuckling as he got up to do as he was commanded. Was late anyways.

"Alright, sleep well Tyson." Gramps waved him off as he made his exit, pausing at the light switch to turn it off for him as Tyson hunkered back under his messed up blanket and wiggled to get comfortable on his back.

"You too Grandpa… And um… Thank you."

Gramp's smiled at him fondly, "Anytime my dude." He said and flicked the light off, leaving and going to shut the door but paused when Tyson called out to him again.

"Love you."

"Love you too T-bone."


End file.
